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Arlan Connington
Ser Arlan Connington, known to most as the Young Griffin, is a member of House Connington of Griffin's Roost. He is officially the heir to Griffin's Roost, considering that his older brother Ronnet has no legitimate children. He was a squire to King Stannis Baratheon, but was and was knighted at fifteen by the King of Dragonstone. Appearance and Personality Arlan is a reasonably handsome, lanky young man of average height. His hair is a nest of dark red, and he has misty green eyes. He is fourteen years old at the start of A Song of Ice and Fire. ''Many have described him as having a saunter to the way he walks, and a cutting smile. Arlan is a prodigal swordsman, described by Alester Florent to be Ser Alyn Connington reborn, and is the fiercest squire in the Stormlands. He does not enjoy jousting as much. However, in reality, he is a recluse, not as well known as his brother Ronnet or cousin Jon. He once lived in fear of his older brother Ronnet, but has since distanced himself from the man. He has complete respect for Stannis Baratheon, to whom he owes total loyalty. Arlan is thought by Stannis, Davos and Maester Cressen to be an earnest lad, but by Selyse Florent and her family to be an arrogant youth. His brother Ronnet refuses to speak of him, apparently because he was knighted younger than Ronnet was, and because early on Arlan showed defiance towards his older brother. Arlan is extremely loyal to Stannis Baratheon, idolising the man completely and aspiring to impress him. He has proven to be consistently useful to the king, so much that Stannis considers him to be of better use than his brother, whose only use is to beat things with a sword. Arlan, on the other hand, has proven to be stolid and determined when put to a task. He is well liked by the other stormlords, and some at King's Landing, but both Tyrion and Cersei Lannister think that he is too much like a young Jaime: brash, eager and naive. He seeks glory, by his own admission, but would rather serve Stannis to achieve it because he knows how Stannis repays loyalty, and how he punishes disloyalty. Arlan's personal sigil is that of House Connington, but with the colours of House Baratheon. He follows the Faith of the Seven, particularly the Father and the Warrior. Arlan is a talented musician, and singer. This has led to him being known mockingly as ''the dancing griffin among stormlords. History Early life Arlan is the second son of Ser Ronald Connington and Madeline Swann. He shares his mother's eyes, apparently. After a disastrous tenure by Jon Connington as Hand to King Aerys II Targaryen, which slowly led to the death of the Mad King and deposition of House Targaryen. Because of this, by the time Arlan is born, his house is a knightly house as opposed to the great and noble one that it was before the Rebellion. At six years old, Arlan became the squire to Lord Stannis Baratheon, master of ships to King Robert. Stannis gave him Rolland Storm to teach him combat, but kept him by his side at council meetings and had him on errands constantly. While on the king's occasional visits to Dragonstone, Arlan became acquainted with young Shireen Baratheon. He soon befriended Ser Davos Seaworth and his sons, the eldest of whom became constant companions of his. While at court, Arlan was acquanted with Beric Dondarrion's cousin Agnes, and the two of them grew very close. He soon developed a crush on her, but she didn't declare any feelings for him. He remembers her cheering for Lord Beric in tourneys, and of her laughing whenever he joked about Thoros of Myr's magical sword. By the time the series begins, Agnes has been gone from court for over a year and he misses her. Arlan took immediately to swordsmanship, easily defeating Davos' elder son Allard in combat. He was once kicked by Prince Joffrey, something that he has never forgotten, and even threatened with the Hound purely for stepping into the prince's path. Stannis often used him as a confidante. When Stannis became suspicious of Robert's children, Arlan accompanied him to visit Robert's other children. He remembers being intensely shy and nervous during the visits to the pillow houses, and remembers the looks that some of the women gave him. For his services to Stannis in this operation, Arlan was promised a knighthood if it came to anything. In the series A Game of Thrones Arlan is mentioned several times throughout Eddard Stark's stay at King's Landing. According to Varys, the boy was seen lurking around the Red Keep constantly while running errands for Stannis; however, before Eddard thinks of questioning him, Varys reveals that the boy fled to Dragonstone with his master. The mention of the name Connington brings to Ned's mind the Battle of the Bells, and how Jon Connington failed to capture Robert Baratheon during said battle. A Clash of Kings Arlan Connington supports the Lord of Dragonstone's claim when he declares himself king, and resumes his duties as an envoy for the man. He has managed to spur multiple hedge knights and landed knights to support Stannis, but otherwise has proven unsuccessful; especially considering that House Connington has already declared for Renly Baratheon, Stannis' younger brother and rival. Upon his return to Dragonstone, Arlan's journey is given greater notice: he has enlisted the loyalty of a few minor sellsword companies and hedge knights, including tourney knights he knew from his time in King's Landing, and even manages to bring some militant members of the smallfolk in the Rainwood, and apparently brought with him the squires and pages of Griffin's Roost. He was too late to try and sway Ser Ronnet, who has ridden to Highgarden to declare for Stannis' brother, but thinks that it would have been a failure either way. While on the island, Arlan spars with Devan Seaworth frequently, and plays with Princess Shireen from time to time, having become accustomed to her since coming to Dragonstone. However, every time he plays with her, he is menaced by Patchface, the maddened fool given to Shireen. Patchface constantly tells Arlan of how griffins grow fins under the sea. Later on, Arlan receives Ser Davos Seaworth when the latter reports his failure to turn the Velaryons to Stannis' cause. Maester Cressen has a lengthy talk with Arlan after meeting with Stannis, and Arlan divulges that he does not support Melisandre at all; he at least has not forsaken the Faith of the Seven, and believes that it is too simple for there to be one god confronting one god for all eternity. When Arlan leaves, Cressen thinks that Arlan may yet be turned, because he is still a boy, no matter what he does for Stannis. Later on, Arlan is present at the feast Stannis throws for his current bannermen. He curses horribly when Melisandre humiliates Maester Cressen, but otherwise he is conspicuously silent; Cressen reflects that Shireen and Arlan are both quiet as sept mice when in the company of other people, even those to whom they are familiar. His reaction when Cressen dies was apparently a sight to behold, according to Ser Davos later on. After witnessing the statues of the Seven being burned by the followers of the Red Woman, Arlan again is seen as conspicuously silent, but in reality Arlan is contemplating what he witnessed when Maester Cressen died. Having idolised Stannis for the majority of the man's life, Arlan has become disillusioned with the idea that Stannis could be the champion of some god or another, and simply decides that personal loyalty and duty are the reasons he follows the man at all. Stannis is impassive throughout the ceremony, despite the fervour of his wife and other supporters. When Stannis leaves 'Lightbringer' in the dirt after the burning, Arlan is left to collect it. As he does so, he recalls visiting a smith at Griffin's Roost and considers the blade in his hands to be no different from the blades tempered in a smith's forge. Arlan takes part in the Siege of Storm's End, riding on the front line alongside Stannis, as his squire. When Renly Baratheon arrives to defend it, a parley is declared, and Arlan joins his king there. When the negotiations begin, Arlan continuously gives Stannis' banner an uncomfortable glance, hinting at his unease of how Stannis has turned towards R'hllor. When Renly continues to mock Stannis throughout the parley, and soon insults the man's lady wife, Stannis draws Lightbringer, and Arlan draws his blade as well, only to be faced with Brienne of Tarth. Catelyn is awestruck, if not horrified, by how Arlan steps to defend his king; if it came to blows, Arlan would be throwing his life away, since Brienne is older and so much stronger than him. When Stannis leaves the parley fuming, Arlan rides with him, but he continues to glance at Lightbringer, having now seen the mysterious power it has. Renly Baratheon mysteriously dies after the parley, and a chaotic split in his camp takes place; after hearing of this, Arlan wonders which of Renly's bannermen betrayed him, or if a catspaw was hired by the Florents to murder the pretender. The next day, Devan and Arlan spar again, and exchange their opinions of the Lord of Light. Arlan later remarks on Ser Davos' loyalty to Stannis despite having lost joints of his fingers to the man; Devan mentions his father remarking that he now has fewer fingernails to clean thanks to Stannis. Arlan disarms Devan, but the boy catches his sword and continues the bout, until the two of them are grappling on the ground like pups. They are accosted by Ser Davos, who tells Arlan that Stannis requires him. Stannis receives him in his tent, and asks him about his relationship with the Swanns, the Dondarrions and his own family. Arlan divulges that he holds his older brother Ronnet in a bad light, considering the man's pretentious and cruel behaviour, and that he isn't particularly close to other Conningtons beside his younger brother, though this is only from a few cursory encounters when he visits Griffin's Roost. Stannis goes on to tell him that he requires people devoted to him, but while Davos Seaworth is probably his best man, his status as a commoner works against him. On the other hand, Arlan could be of used to him now that Renly is dead; the lords that have not declared for him as of yet will declare for him now, since his brother has been removed from the situation. Arlan points out that his family is disgraced and simply a family of landed knights. However, Stannis is steadfast in his decision to send Arlan away to find more supporters Arlan is followed by vagabonds early in his journey. Arlan leads them into the Rainwood, where he kills three of them and interrogates the other. He learns that they were sent by Ser Courtnay Penrose, who wants to take him into Storm's End to protect him from the siege to come. However, Arlan does not believe this, thinking that Ser Courtnay will have him executed or imprisoned for being associated with Stannis. He lets the man go free, but takes his weaponry from him. Arlan goes to the villages outside Bronzegate where he finds even more men willing to fight if they are promised payment, but finds more difficulty at Haystack Hall, where he has to divulge that Renly Baratheon is dead before they start believing his cause to be true. On the way back, he considers going to Stonehelm, to his grandfather Lord Gulian. He does finally visit Stonehelm, and while there he meets with the ailing Lord Swann. They talk for hours before Arlan brings up Stannis; Gulian goes into a lengthy talk about Robert's Rebellion, and tells him that because of his memories of that rebellion he will not commit to another war. He tells Arlan that his mother wouldn't want that either. The boy is angered at the mention of his mother in this context, to which Gulian tells him that she didn't even want him to be a knight. Arlan shoots back that she didn't want to be married to the Conningtons either, but that happened anyway. Shocked at the boy's fire, Gulian refuses to commit anything more than twenty household guards, but no kin of House Swann except for Arlan himself. Arlan leaves Stonehelm in a fury. Deciding that the nearest castle where he has any hope is Blackhaven, Arlan rides there. Contending with thieves and hedge knights along the way, Arlan's ordeal is made a little worse when his horse collapses and dies. He makes the rest of the journey on the same horse as one of his new companions. When he finally reaches Blackhaven, he finds that both Lord Beric and Ser Calvin Dondarrion are absent, but Beric's seventeen-year-old cousin Lyra. She receives him in the solar of Blackhaven and offers him wine, but he only accepts bread and salt to invoke guest right. Throughout their meeting, Lyra teases Arlan with the things he used to say about tourneys, the king and Thoros of Myr's sword. Eventually, Arlan makes the painful decision to broach his purpose to Lyra. She claims to be sympathetic to him for his loyalty to Stannis and his desire to please the man, but her personal dislike towards the stormlord holds her from supporting him. Arlan tells her that liking or hating has nothing to do with it, considering that Stannis is now the only Baratheon left alive. Lyra knows he is talking about the letter Stannis sent to the lords of Westeros about King Joffrey's true parentage, and mentions that she laughed when she heard this. When Arlan asks why, Lyra tells him that it should have been obvious, since Joffrey had little that his father would have been proud of, and that all of Robert's other ''children looked totally different, according to the messengers in the Vale, Storm's End and the Westerlands. She eventually offers to give him one hundred and fifty men and twenty horses, on the promise that House Dondarrion's lands will be extended as far as Summerhall when the war is won. Arlan agrees to this, sceptical that Stannis will extend them quite so far out of concern that he is making similar promises to other lords. Lyra allows him to stay the night, and to break his fast with her. When he leaves, she gives him a new grey charger named Hugor. Arlan asks her if she will be coming with him, to which she states that she won't be of any use to him at King's Landing. Arlan wonders aloud what Beric Dondarrion will think about her devoting towards Stannis, to which Lyra states that Ned Stark sought to support Stannis, and Beric sought to follow Ned Stark. Just before Arlan leaves, Lyra kisses him. He leaves Blackhaven with a broad smile on his face, and one of the sellswords remarks that his cheeks have gone as red as his hair. Arlan comes back to Storm's End to find that it has fallen to Stannis already, and is horrified to learn that Stannis has burned the godswood there in representation of his faith to R'hllor. When he brings the soldiers to Stannis in Storm's End, he finds the king in his solar with Edric Storm, Patchface and Shireen. Stannis commends his efforts flatly, but is critical of the majority only truly coming from one house. Arlan tells him the terms of House Dondarrion, but to his surprise Stannis doesn't object to this, but hopes not to make a man like Beric Dondarrion too overmighty. Arlan voices his belief that this is unlikely, as Beric Dondarrion is dead. Stannis realises that, with his planned execution of Calvin Dondarrion, this would make Lyra Dondarrion the Lady of Blackhaven, and thus the betrothed to her would absorb the lands of Blackhaven permanently. Arlan doesn't fail to realise his hope to marry her for love, but that most people would see it for land. Stannis declares his intent to sail on Blackwater Bay immediately, and that Arlan will sail on the ''Greatwing alongside Ser Guyard Morrigen. Arlan, who has not been acquainted with Ser Guyard, objects that his place is beside Stannis as his squire, but Stannis declares his intent to stay back and strategise, which Arlan compares mentally to Tywin Lannister. Declaring that there is one last thing that he has forgotten, Stannis commands Arlan to kneel before him. Drawing Lightbringer, Stannis dubs the boy to be Ser Arlan Connington of Griffin's Roost. Astounded by finally being knighted, Arlan is briefly unable to speak, until the king tells him that, should the battle be survived, Griffin's Roost will be his, as he has done more for the king than his brother. Arlan asks how the castle fell, and Stannis explains that, if the rumours are true, one of Ser Courtnay's knights threw him from the castle so that the gates would be opened for him. Arlan is immediately sceptical, but does not believe that Stannis would lie about such a thing. He doubts that Stannis personally killed the man, and argues the possibility that Ser Courtnay's men could have turned on him rather than face the king in combat. In preparation for the battle, Arlan accepts a new suit of armour from the new blacksmiths at Storm's End, and his own personal sigil as well: the duelling griffins of House Connington, but in black and gold, the colours of House Baratheon. While being put into this armour, Arlan accepts Oswyn Mertyns as his squire. Boarding the Greatwing, he reunites with his older brother, who is disdainful of his sigil and his knighthood, as Arlan is fifteen years old. He then continues to berate and accost Arlan for declaring for Stannis instead of Renly, who had declared himself king before Stannis could. Arlan fires back that Renly declaring himself king did not make him the true king of Westeros, since he was the youngest of Robert's brothers, but in spite of him being the liege lord of the Stormlands, Ronnet declared for him. Ronnet points out that Renly was the erstwhile Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, whereas Stannis was merely Lord of Dragonstone. Ronnet mutters that Renly was the rightful king until he died, which led to Stannis being so; Arlan retorts by asking if that would make Arlan the true Knight of Griffin's Roost, as he is younger and better suited. When Ronnet scoffs at this, and dives into a rant about what he dislikes about Arlan, the boy silences him with the rumour that Brienne of Tarth slammed him into the dirt at Bitterbridge. His tongue caught, Ronnet storms off, unable to stand Arlan's smile. Arlan considers this to be a personal victory against his brother. When he looks at himself in the mirror, he finds it strange to be in full plate, as he doesn't recognise himself. During the Battle of Blackwater Bay, the Greatwing is among the eight ships that divide from the fleet. While Arlan watches from the prow of his ship, the Fury, Pride of Driftmark and several other ships fall behind a great chain that inexplicably rises from the Blackwater. When the Godsgrace ''engages the ''Fury, ''the former ignites a cache of wildfire that was stored in it, breaking the ''Fury ''apart. Arlan is awestruck by the sight of the wildfire explosion, almost blinded by the light. He realises that a great chunk of the king's fleet has now been destroyed. He takes part in the ground assault by Stannis' men, killing Ser Will the Stork in single combat. Bronn recalls seeing Arlan later on in the battle, cutting down a son of Lord Rykker before being lost in the battle when Tywin Lannister and Mace Tyrell arrive ''en force and ambush the stormlords. Arlan feels compelled to continue fighting and intends on finding and killing Tyrion Lannister for decimating the fleet, until he sees what appears to be the ghost of Renly Baratheon charging with Lord Tywin and cutting through the ranks of the king's men. Arlan, lost in a battle fever, charges the ghost, killing Ser Richard Farrow when the latter gets in his way, and screams for Renly to try him. Renly sees him, and spurs his horse into a charge. Arlan lets out a battle cry, distressing the man's horse and throwing him from it. Renly attacks him, and they duel. Arlan is surprised by his adversary's strength, and is amazed by how skilled he turns out to be. Renly presses him away from the bay, to the point when Salladhor Saan lands his ships to allow the survivors to escape. Prioritising survival over triumph, Arlan flees, but not before noticing that Renly's ghost has brown hair under the helm, and brown eyes, completely different from how Renly Baratheon looked. Arlan ultimately survives the battle, but his older brother is captured by the Lannisters, bending the knee to King Joffrey Baratheon. Arlan is declared a traitor for his participation in the battle, and him not defecting to the Iron Throne, and when Ronnet is pardoned he begs leave to hunt after his brother. Joffrey is entertained by this idea, since it would pit griffin against griffin. A Storm of Swords Arlan returns, visibly shaken by the battle and by the long and arduous journey back to the island. On his way back, Arlan learned of his brother throwing down his sword and surrendering. He also learns that the Tyrells and the Lannisters have started the foundations of an alliance, as have the Martells of Dorne. Having no knowledge or previous encounter with Lady Margaery, Arlan only knows what he heard from Renly, that she is beautiful and young and clever. However, he can't see her face without imagining Lyra's. In his sleep, Arlan is troubled by the victory of the Iron Throne against them, and troubled by Renly's shade arriving at the battle; however, he soon figures out that the man who fought him wasn't Renly, but an impersonator, and it was simply a dirty trick by the Lannisters. However, in spite of this, the shaken survivors of the battle hail him as the man who held back Renly Baratheon's ghost when he tried to avenge him, which Arlan isn't pleased by as he didn't kill the man. When he finally returns to the island, he demands to see King Stannis, only to be confronted by Alester Florent instead. He learns from the Reachman that Stannis has spent his return brooding in the Drum of Dragonstone, only accepting Melisandre as company. Brought to Alester Florent's chambers, Arlan is left waiting for at least an hour. Bored, Arlan spies a strip of paper under a huge pile. Pulling it out, Arlan reads an offer of fealty to King Joffrey on the condition that Stannis renounce his claim to the throne, reside in Storm's End and offer Shireen in marriage. Before he can read any further, Alester arrives and bluntly asks for his account of the battle. When Arlan brings up what happened between him and the man in Renly's armour, Alester fumes and lets out an intense rant about how it affected the troops to see the ghost of the usurper king on the battle, and having him turn out to be a pretender to the name. Arlan endures this rant while trying not to smile at Alester's reactions. Refusing Arlan a goblet of wine when he asks, Alester continues with the news that Stannis has decided to attaint Ronnet Connington when he takes the throne for turning against his one true king. Arlan turns sceptical of this because Stannis has just been broken in battle and does not have the strength to take King's Landing a second time, much less take the Iron Throne itself. He knows better, however, than to voice these opinions, since the Hand speaks with the king's voice and listens with his ear. When Alester goes on to ask why Arlan didn't kill the impostor of Stannis' brother when he had the chance, Arlan coldly challenges Alester to see how he fares with a sword against a ghost. Incensed, Alester declares that, as Hand of the King, he will not suffer such slights from a boy. Arlan knows better than to cite himself a knight, as he is talking to Stannis' second-in-command. Instead, he asks about the letter. This takes Alester aback, and when Arlan takes the letter, Florent calls his guards in to arrest Arlan. When Arlan declares what Alester has written, Axell Florent enters the room and demands to see it. After reading it, Axell brings him before Stannis. Arlan is shocked by the state that Stannis is in, underfed and shaken and solemn. When Stannis reads the letter, he sends Alester to one of the cells beneath Dragonstone. After the Lord of Brightwater Keep is imprisoned, Stannis finally accepts Arlan's company. When Arlan tells him about the impostor, Stannis strangely does not react at all. Stannis informs Arlan that, to a point, Ronnet's surrender will be treated as Florent said, albeit with one difference: exile. Arlan shakes this off and asks why Stannis asked for him to come; Stannis explains that he requires Arlan to sail with him to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea to the Wall, where they hope to aid the Night's Watch against the wildlings. Arlan is deeply perplexed by this sudden turn of events, since he wonders why Stannis would want to aid the black brothers when his true focus should be regaining his strength to win the throne, considering that the Watch takes no part in the affairs of the Seven Kingdoms. On the journey, he keeps company with Queen Selyse and her daughter, an ordeal he finds extremely unpleasant because of the grating nature of Stannis' wife. However, he manages to entertain the princess, who grows to like him. From them, he learns that three of the five kings have already died: Robb Stark was betrayed and cut down at the Twins, Balon Greyjoy fell from a bridge at Pyke and Joffrey Baratheon was poisoned at his wedding by his uncle, Lord Tyrion Lannister. Shocked further by the way that things have turned out since the Blackwater, Arlan wonders if Melisandre had anything to do with all this, since she has condemned the other kings and they have since been brought down within their own kingdoms. When Patchface starts singing, Arlan approaches the queen so as to avoid him, and briefly tries to converse with her, resulting in an unpleasant exchange over the fate of House Connington in the past twenty years. Requiring fresh air, Arlan steps out on deck and is asked to spar with Ser Godry Farring, one of Selyse's other knights. After a lengthy session between the two of them, Arlan manages to beat him, much to Godry's disgust. When he suggests another bout, he tricks Arlan and takes his sword, only for Arlan to take his belt and cause him to lose his breeches. Humiliated, Godry retreats below deck and Arlan is left alone again. The news of the sparring between them reaches the other ships quite quickly. They arrive at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, and are faced with Cotter Pyke, who gives them a route to the wildling camp of King Mance Rayder. During the trek, Arlan takes a heavy red fur cloak that he brought along for the ride. When they reach the camp of Mance Rayder, a battle breaks out between the king's men and the wildlings. Arlan finds charging the Free Folk to be one of the most terrifying things he has ever done, but actually fighting them to be disturbingly easy as they do not commonly wear armour unlike the conventional soldiers of Westeros. He manages to bring down several of Tormund Giantsbane's spearmen in the combat that follows. After the battle, Arlan claims a new gauntlet from a dead wildling, having lost his during the cavalry charge. TBA Quotes Quotes by Arlan Quotes about Arlan Category:Cossack09 Category:House Connington Category:Knights Category:Siblings Category:Bannermen of House Baratheon of Dragonstone Category:Under construction Category:Characters from the Stormlands